discus hiding in plant roots

[Gone]

Noticed my Discus hiding in the roots of my Amazon swords all day. They're usually out swimming, but this week it's like they're glued to the plants. Tank's a 75-gallon, temp at 84°F, pH 6.8, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. Weekly 50% water changes, feeding beef heart mix twice a day. Anyone else seen this?

[Banger]

Mine did that when I added new tankmates. How long have they been hiding? Any new fish or changes to the tank? Could be stress or just a weird phase.

[BoldOne]

Yo, my Discus pulled the same stunt last month. Turned out the lighting was too bright after I swapped bulbs. They chilled once I dimmed it. What's your setup like? LED or T5? Also, check if the roots are dense enough for them to feel safe.

[Suntech]

Discus are known to seek shelter when uncomfortable. Your water params seem fine, but have you checked for fluctuations during the day? Sometimes heaters or filters act up.

[buzzit]

Yo, my Discus pulled the same stunt last month. Turned out the lighting was too bright after I swapped bulbs. They chilled once I dimmed it. What's your setup like? LED or T5? Also, check if the roots are dense enough for them to feel safe.

That's a solid point. I've got a Finnex LED running 8 hours a day. Maybe I'll cut it back to 6 and see if they perk up. Appreciate the tip!

[Gone]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone. No new fish, but I did add CO2 a week ago. Maybe that's messing with them. Gonna dial it back and monitor.

[Banger]

CO2 could definitely be the culprit. Some Discus are super sensitive to changes in dissolved gases. Keep an eye on them and maybe bump up surface agitation if you're running a diffuser.

[BoldOne]

For real, CO2 is sketchy with Discus. I run mine super low, like 1 bubble per second, and even then I watch 'em like a hawk. What's your drop checker showing?

[buzzit]

For real, CO2 is sketchy with Discus. I run mine super low, like 1 bubble per second, and even then I watch 'em like a hawk. What's your drop checker showing?

Yep, same here. Mine's at 1 bps with a lime green drop checker. Anything darker and they start acting off. How's your surface agitation, Gone?

[Suntech]

If the CO2 adjustment doesn't help, consider adding more cover. Floating plants like frogbit can give them shade without blocking light for the swords.